By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Barton County update to 800 megahertz radios left some unwanted hardware around the county. At least for some. With two UHF repeaters remaining on water towers in Claflin and Ellinwood, the Barton County Commission opted Wednesday morning to gift those repeaters to those cities.
"We are no longer using those two repeater sites because they are a UHF system," said Communications Director Dena Popp. "During that time, Claflin Fire Chief Doug Hubbard and former Ellinwood Fire Chief Chris Komarek had expressed interest in obtaining those repeaters left in place for use of public works - street department, utilities, that type of thing - within those cities."
Popp said the Ellinwood repeater currently does not cost the county anything, and the Claflin repeater has monthly utility costs of approximately $45. At this point, it would be beneficial to leave them in place.
"For me to actually have to hire a vendor to climb and take down the antennas and all the equipment there, it is anticipated to be more than what I could get if I tried to take it down and sell it," said Popp. "With them expressing an interest in keeping it for still-public use, or to benefit the public, that is an option I would like to recommend."
Komarek and Hubbard thanked the commission for the repeaters, which will now be used for city traffic in those communities. As part of the agreement, the cities will handle any future costs associated with the repeaters.
"It's a great example of how the cities and the county are working together," said Commission Chair Shawn Hutchinson, "and I'm proud to be a part of this."